If you know the ngoni was traditionally only used in a seated position, you can imagine the reactions of the Malian crowd when Bassekou Kouyate decided to play his solo standing up one day, hereby taking a central position on stage. The back cover of 'I Speak Fula' shows a picture of Bassekou and the other band members of Ngoni Ba, posing in front of the Buffet de la Gare in Bamako; the legendary nightspot where it all started. After 'Segu Blue', an album yours truly overlooked for some reason but which at least deserves our recommendation, 'I Speak Fula' is Kouyate's second solo effort. His wife, Amy Sacko still takes care of most of the vocals, but this second album also features a striking number of guests (Vieux Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate…). One moment Bassekou goes on the rampage as if he were a Malian metal guitarist ('I Speak Fula', 'Musow'), but the next it's back to a very quiet bluesy rhythm ('Bambugu Blues'). Must-have album for fans of the Mali-blues!